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FACILITIES / CARE - FAMILY PRACTICE - HAWC - IMMUNIZATIONS - MENTAL - OPTOMETRY - PHYSICAL THERAPY - WOMEN'S HEALTH - DENTAL
Medical Care and Services, Bldg. T-416
COM: 011-351-295-57-3261
DSN: 535-3261
Services Include: Ambulance Services, Family Practice, Woman’s Health, Lab, Pharmacy, Radiology, TRICARE and the Cashiers Cage
Medical care at Lajes Field, Azores is very limited, it is important that you and your dependents are in good medical condition. Lajes has a medical clinic on base that provides basic medical care and is available to civilian employees for a fee. There is a Portuguese hospital on the island that will accept American patients. If you or your dependents have medical conditions we advise you to carefully research the availability of specific medical care with our 65th Medical Group at Lajes Field.
The 65th Medical Group Pharmacy has limited medication in stock to provide to our patient population at Lajes Field. We strongly advise and encourage you to contact the 65th Medical Group’s pharmacy, at DSN: 314-535-3635 or commercial 011-351-295-573635 to make sure that your required medication is available here at Lajes Field. In addition to contacting our Pharmacy we also recommend you bring at least 90 days of medication in case our Pharmacy does not have the medication in stock.
This team of medical professionals provides routine, preventive and same day care. Our clinic performs regularly scheduled checkups, screenings and examinations to ensure early detection of illness. The primary intent of these regular visits is to keep you and your family members healthy through preventive care practices. You may also be asked to complete a health assessment to help the provider learn more about your health care needs. Nursing telephone consults for prescription refills or home care instructions are also available upon request. Services we provide include eye and ear irrigations, throat cultures, annual examinations for women, suture removals, wart treatment, casting and splinting, and mole removals. Procedures and evaluations not provided in the Family Practice clinic are referred to other services within the medical group or specialty care provided by qualified specialist available on island. When referred to a “downtown” specialist, you will be contacted by the Referral Management Officer with the time, date and location of your appointment. A referral is a recommendation by the provider and not an obligation to fund the appointment or care provided.
Health and Wellness Center (HAWC)
The HAWC provides nutritional, fitness, tobacco cessation, and stress related information to promote a healthy lifestyle. Our nutrition expert provides nutritional counseling on various topics: Healthy Heart Class, Cholesterol Reduction Class, Commissary Tours, Healthy Cooking Demonstrations, Organic Market Tours, Prenatal Nutrition, Diabetes Nutrition, Hypertension, GERD (Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease), and pediatric weight loss topics. Our Fitness Program Manager provides exercise counseling leading to an overall healthier lifestyle. Our staff also includes a Microfit Specialist, who provides Microfit assessments as a starting point to see what shape you’re in before you start going to our classes, and then follow-up appointments to see your improvement. You’ll be surprised of the improvements that you can make to your health and fitness by attending any or all of our healthy living classes.
Tobacco cessation classes are also available at the HAWC, and are offered quarterly. Each class lasts 4 sessions during a 2 weeks period. These sessions talk about the reasons to stop smoking, and the long-term effects that it has on your body. Classes discuss: the medications provided by the clinic, stress management, dental care, fitness tips, and nutritional information is also provided. (The HAWC is located in the Fitness Center.)
We provide services for patients ranging from newborn to adult. All patients are able to receive routine immunizations. We are not able to provide care to patients needing intradermal, food, provocable, and radioallergosorbent test (RAST) allergy testing. Samples for RAST allergy testing can be drawn in the lab and sent to the United States for results/determination. All immunization clinic services are provided on a walk in basis, except TB tests which are not done on Thursdays.
Click here for Bill oRights for Behavioral Health Care
Our scope of care consists of adult disorders or conditions that are the focus of mental health treatment or attention. Our capabilities include but are not limited to: assessment and treatment of psychological disorders, psychological testing, group psychotherapy, squadron briefings, and commander directed evaluations; community mental health services, intervention, and prevention of alcohol and drug abuse and violence; family distress and /or domestic violence/child maltreatment and substance abuse-related incidents; crisis management, intervention/consultation and evaluation of need for hospitalization; prevention and education services, including substance abuse awareness, behavior management, suicide awareness, and briefings for any base organization on appropriate community wellness/mental health topics and primary care integration.
We provide acute, routine, preventative, and follow-up type eye examinations. Services provided by the Optometry clinic include comprehensive routine eye examinations, eye health evaluations (including dilated fundus examinations), referrals, vision screenings (for driver’s license renewal, color vision, school), treatment of red eyes and minor eye injuries, glaucoma evaluations, contact lens updates (if you have contact lenses and a copy of your old prescription) and initial contact lens fittings for certain prescriptions (on space available basis). Ophthalmologic referrals are coordinated with the patient’s PCM or physician on-call, as well as patient liaisons, if care is to be received by Portuguese ophthalmologist. Prescriptions are given to order glasses and contact lenses and for obtaining ocular medications to treat eye conditions/diseases. Other services include removal of superficial foreign bodies from eye, depth perception testing, retinal photography; contact lens training (insertion/removal and care); dry eye management, and preventative procedures (dilated fundus examinations)
Outpatient services are restricted to musculoskeletal type dysfunction. We provide physical therapy treatment during the established duty hours, Monday through Friday 0900-1700. Services are provided at the HAWC, Physical Therapy department at building T-333 or in other areas designated by the Chief, Physical Therapy.
Routine care appointments are made within 28 days. Same day appointments are generally not available and you may need to see your PCM for immediate concerns. For those who believe they need to be seen urgently by Women's Health, a consult with the triage nurse can be requested. Well woman and other gynecologic appointments are available throughout the week. Per AFI, starting at 40 years of age, every woman should have an annual mammogram. Those planning to become pregnant while being stationed at Lajes are highly encouraged to schedule a pre-conceptual counseling appointment with the Women's Health provider prior to conceiving.
Services provided in the Women’s Health clinic consist of:
- Routine well woman/pap screenings
- Colposcopies (dysplasia)
- STD testing and treatment
- Contraceptive counseling and IUD insertions
- Management of gynecological problems
- Referrals for mammograms
- Pregnancy testing
- Preconception counseling
The Referral Management Center works with all patients being referred to specialty care off base. This includes medical appointments to the host Nations facilities on Terceira Island and surrounding Portuguese Islands and medical appointments to other Medical Treatment facilities within our TRICARE region to include Germany, England and the states. Once your medical provider has determined that a referral is needed, the Referral Management will help set up an appointment for you and work out the details of the appointment. Patient liaisons will accompany all patients be referred to host nation facilities to help with translation services. The patient travel office will help with all medical TDYs to other treatment facilities to include orders, itineraries, billeting and transportation.
Health Insurrance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
When you receive treatment at an MTF, you will be given a copy of the MHS Notice of Privacy Practices, which details how your medical information may be used and with whom it may be shared. If you see providers outside of the MTF, they may have their own privacy practices guidelines that they will share with you at the time of your appointment. It's important that you read carefully any information about privacy practices. Please see thefollowing website for more information regarding Notices of Privacy Practices.
http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/Download/Forms/noticeofprivacypractices.pdf
The 65th Dental Clinic is pleased to offer its services to all eligible beneficiaries to the greatest extent possible. Comprehensive dental care is provided to all active-duty members of the armed forces of the United States assigned to Lajes Field, Family members, Retired US forces military and their family members and DoD sponsored civilian employees. This includes Annual Exam/Cleaning, Routine Operative (fillings), Perio Maintenance (gum care), Prosthodontics (crowns/bridge), Non Surgical Endodontics (root canals), IV and Nitrous Oxide Sedation, Oral Surgery, Ortho Support and Emergency Care.
Our facilities are located in bld T-588. Treatment beyond the Scope of Care of this facility may be provided to active-duty or non-active duty beneficiaries by referral to a larger MTF via medical evacuation (Aerovac) or qualified specialist available on island.
Click here to download Angra Hopital Map
Click here to download Praia Clinic Map
